31 Jan 2013

What? I'm
going on a trip? Hold on there. What should I pack? Where are we going?

No,
silly, it's just a game. We visit other sites and find out what the author's
are doing and giving away as prizes for those who participate. Real prizes, not
just books sent through the air to a satellite and back to another person's
equipment. Maybe my understanding of how the book arrives is flawed, but that's
a close as I can figure. Here are the details:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ADDICTED TO HEROINES BLOG TOUR. Date: February 01, 2013 06:00AMVenue: Dark alleys where monsters lurk, in the halls of kings, and in enchanted
forestsLocation: The United StatesDescription: Celebrate with us the heroines of fantasy and urban fantasy!BOOK GIVEAWAY! (chance to win the following ebooks)-The Tower's Alchemist-Heart Song-Reaper's Novice-Still Rock Water (that's my book)-The Lost KingCONTESTS WITH COOL PRIZES!-iTunes gift cards

'True it takes a person to send the email, or send the text message but it
lacks greatly. The missing element is that of human contact; the look in
someone’s eye; the tone of one’s voice; the ability to pick up one another’s
body language. Without these important factors that engage the heart as well as
the mind, establishing the grounds for relationships that can stand the test of
times are nearly impossible to achieve'.

Back in the 1940's when I was a
child, I played in the shed, ran around in the street, or acted heroine roles
in front of my sisters and friends. In the sixties, my children played at the
park or dressed up in our home. The boys made up adventures for their kung-fu
kicking Chinese figures with straw-stuffed limbs. The girls wove their Barbie
dolls in and out of the action. Now days, many children sit in their houses
alone, their only contact with outsiders through the internet.

We've all watched disaster movies.
What would we do without our technology? When communication is lost between the
leaders and the country's forces, people only survive through interpersonal
skills and must rely on their basic ability and nature again. I'm hoping the
authorities have a back-up plan.

I've written a draft of a novel set
fifteen years ahead in time just before the onset of a comet hit. I'd hate to
think it could really happen—or how we would cope.

30 Jan 2013

Cats are one of the top threats to
US wildlife, a study suggests. The authors estimate feral cats are responsible
for the deaths of between 1.4 and 3.7 billion birds and 6.9-20.7 billion
mammals annually.

Birds native to the US, such as
the American Robin, were most at risk, and mice, shrews, voles, squirrels and
rabbits were the mammals most likely to be killed.

I love cats—furry, cute, adorable
cats. House cats. My first Siamese, Simba used to stand on my foot, look up
into my eyes and give a low yowl. I'd bend down to stroke him as we connected.
Sometimes, he'd tenderly clamp onto my leg, all the while expressing love. I
remember the fuzzy feeling to this day.

Freeimages.com

Although strays, feral cats and
farm cats, are responsible for the bulk of the deaths, domestic cats play a
part too. The study suggests that a properly fitted collar with a bell will
give their prey more warning.

The domestic cat's killer instinct
has been well documented on many islands around the world. Felines accompanying
their human companions have gone on to decimate local wildlife, and they have
been blamed for the global extinction of 33 species.

A parasite carried in cat's feces
is even killing sea otters when the hard casing is washed out through the
waterways. The danger has been noted already for expectant mothers, who become
infected while changing cat litter.

To act more responsibly, we should
keep out cats indoors. That way, we reduce the chance of them being infected by
eating contaminated birds or rodents.

My darling Siamese, Simba, died a
lonely death in the fields close to our home when I lived in Robe, South
Australia. He went missing one day, back in the 1970's. Our family of five
searched for days. On the forth day, one of the children came running home to
tell us he'd found Simba hidden in long grass under a tree. We took the comatose
cat to the vet, but he died of dehydration and the poison from a grass snake. Must
have been hunting. Wildlife had the last word.

29 Jan 2013

'How many deaths will it take to be told
that too many people have died?'

Over the
centuries, disability has been hidden. The blind ninety-year-old Dandolo
breached the walls of Constantinople. Paralyzed from the waist down, wheelchair-bound
Roosevelt stood propped up for public pictures. The one-armed Nelson won the
Battle of Trafalgar. Each were so successful, they couldn't be classed as
disabled.

English history
forgot one hundred poor souls, who probably never made it to the battle between
Oliver Cromwell and his Roundhead cavalry, who went on to defeat King Charles
1's at the Battle of Marston Moor in 1644.

Recently found
in mass graves at a ruined York church, 113 skeletons were arranged neatly in
parallel rows, mostly laid on their side or face down in the dirt. No buckles,
buttons or jewellery were found, indicating they were probably buried naked. Given the probable 17th century date, it is
likely that they relate to the largest battle in the Civil War.

Evidence suggests
that the bodies could well have been Cromwell's soldiers who died from disease
while laying siege to the city. Although the Royalist army was well-provided
for behind the city walls, the besieging Parliamentary forces suffered severe
deprivation, making them susceptible to illness and diseases such as dysentery
and typhoid. Most of the skeletons had old broken bones and signs of past infection.
Back then, they wrapped a wound with honey and oats as an antibiotic.

There was no
such thing as disability in those days. People were just who they were. They got on with life as best they could and
probably banded together for mutual support. Army life would have offered them
a living, where they could do ancillary jobs like guarding the ammunition or
working in the kitchens.

I'm too soft
to have survived during those times. Perhaps we should try harder to manage
unaided—those of us who can.

I read about
dolphins in one of Edgar Cayce's books. Over many years, the sleeping psychic
discovered otherworldly layers. The uneducated simple farmer spoke about things
beyond his understanding. One thing caught my attention from his recorded words:
when the inhabitants of Atlantis blew their island out of existence through the
power of their minds, they chose to return to the physical life on Earth in the
form of dolphins. Since reading that, I've regarded the sea mammals with awakened
interest.

In the BBC Nature
news today: Five individual common dolphins have been seen gathering to aid a
dying companion. They formed a raft with their bodies in an attempt to keep the
stricken dolphin afloat and help it breathe.

Korean-based scientists witnessed
the event in the East Sea off the coast of Ulsan, in South Korea. This is the
first time that a group of dolphins has been recorded trying to help or save
another dying dolphin. Before, observers noticed individual mothers supporting
dead or stillborn calves at the surface.

During a later trip, the Korean
researchers observed twelve individuals swimming very slowly. Though it could
move and splash its tail, its flippers appeared to be paralysed and it had red
marks on its belly. A number of dolphins circled this group, while those within
appeared to be trying to help the stricken dolphin maintain its balance, by
pushing it from the side and below. The 10 remaining dolphins took turns to
form a raft using their bodies. When the stricken dolphin appeared to die, the
others continued to assist its vertical body.

Although I'm
steady in my acceptance of the Creator's love, I don't know what happens when
we die. Some say that people cling to religion or belief to give them something
to look forward to rather than face their demise with fear. No matter what we
believe, the future will reveal itself at the allotted time.